From Reluctant Pet Parent to Cat Dad: A Tale of Unexpected Love
I never considered myself a pet person.
Sure, I had a dog and a few cats back in my early twenties, but since then, I hadn’t felt the need or desire to share my life with animals.
It wasn’t just about lack of time or space; it was more about not wanting or needing a pet.
That changed when Kesem, the German Shepherd who practically adopted us in January 12, 2022, came into the picture.
Although I saw him more as a companion than a pet, he managed to steal my heart with his playfulness and gentle spirit.
But the real transformation happened on the 29 of May, 2024 when two tiny street kittens came into our lives, marking a turning point in my “no pets” policy.
We hadn’t planned on getting cats — well, at least not until the local rabbits started treating our garden like an all-you-can-eat buffet, munching on vegetables, tree bark, and Vered’s precious roses.
Just a day after Vered and I decided we might need a cat for some natural rabbit control, I got a call from Ismael.
His daughter’s yard had become the birthplace to a litter of stray kittens who urgently needed a home.
It felt like fate had intervened, so we didn’t hesitate to say yes to two of those.
And then they arrived: two tiny, terrified fur balls, hissing and growling, full of fierce survival instincts.
We gave them the balcony as their temporary sanctuary, but already on the second day, the male kitten managed to take a daring dive off the edge, landing just a few meters from our vigilant cat-hunting dog.
I got there just in time to save him, and after that, we decided it was safer to confine them to my office for a while.
At first, they hid in a box every time we entered the room, only emerging to eat and play when they thought we weren’t looking.
But bit by bit, with Gerdy’s patience and a bribe of leftover salmon, the kittens began to let down their guard.
They accepted us, trusted us, and eventually allowed us to touch them.
That’s when my heart officially melted.
I found myself spending hours in “their” room, watching them play, cuddling them, and staying in the most uncomfortable positions just so I wouldn’t disturb their blissful sleep on my lap. In that moment, I realized I had become their cat dad.
After years of longing for pure, uncomplicated love and laughter, these two little souls — who we named Harry and Sally — gave it to me in abundance.
It took six weeks of careful introductions and a lot of trial and error to get Harry, Sally, and Kesem to coexist peacefully.
While they’re not the best friends we had hoped they would become, they’ve reached a truce.
They tolerate each other, no longer trying to eat or poke each other’s eyes out, which feels like a small victory in itself.
Now, five months in, Harry and Sally are six months old, and not a day goes by without us mentioning them in our gratitude ritual.
These little beings have brought so much love, softness, and laughter into our home.
They’ve softened my heart in ways I never expected, and for that, I’m endlessly thankful.
Who knew that a couple of feral kittens could teach me so much about love and joy?
I’m officially a cat dad — and loving every minute of it.
